News of: Tuesday, 6th of March, 2012

Front Page

Thirty percent of the road accidents from 1998 to 2010, which claimed around 1,200 lives every year, could have been averted if road dividers and speed bumps had been set up to check head-on and rear-end collisions.

A soft loan of Tk 80 crore for a highway expansion project is set to be returned to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as the authorities failed to widen a vital stretch of the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar highway.

The Pakistani regime appointed Lt Gen Tikka Khan the new governor of East Pakistan on this day in 1971. He succeeded Vice Admiral SM Ahsan, whose resignation was brought about by his reluctance to go along with President Yahya Khan's policies regarding a handling of the crisis. In addition to Ahsan, the zonal martial law administrator, Lt Gen Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, also made his way out of the regime when he declined to adopt a tough military stance toward the restive province. Tikka Khan was thus effectively holding two positions, that of governor and zonal martial law administrator. However, he was not sworn in as governor by Justice BA Siddiqui, chief justice of the East Pakistan High Court, in view of the ongoing civil disobedience movement in the province.

The main opposition BNP is struggling with the accommodation of those expected to join its March 12 rally from outside the capital as most of the city hotel and community centre owners are refusing them room.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed ministers and the administration to stay alert to the BNP's March 12 grand rally in the capital, saying the opposition might carry out subversive activities to destabilise the country.

The main opposition BNP has rejected a report on a Dubai-based newspaper, according to which Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence gave Khaleda Zia Rs 50 million prior to the 1991 parliamentary election.

Poland began two days of mourning yesterday for 16 people killed in its worst rail disaster in two decades, as investigators probing the cause of the trains' head-on crash said human error was to blame.

Editorial

BNP'S acting secretary general has alleged that the government is trying to thwart the March 12 BNP rally. The allegation comes as extremely disconcerting news. In a democratic country every political party is entitled to hold rallies to press home its demands in a peaceful manner. However, a news item in yesterday's issue of this paper gives us a different picture altogether. Reportedly, hoteliers in the capital and bus owners all over the country are being intimidated by certain influential quarters to prevent BNP activists from joining the rally.

Recent reports of Bangladeshi female migrant workers in the Middle East being subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse are highly disturbing. Migrant workers recently returned from countries such as Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, have made such allegations -- in addition to those of overwork, confinement within the workplace and lack of weekly holidays. Despite international labour laws on migrant workers guaranteeing their rights, time and again they have been violated with impunity.

Sports

FIFA president Sepp Blatter will arrive in Dhaka today for his second trip to Bangladesh after a successful initial visit prior to the World Cup in 2006. But while Blatter's whistle-stop 21-hour long tour might have been arranged in haste, the president of football's governing body will bring with him glad tidings for Bangladeshi football.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter arrives in Dhaka today on a two-day visit as part of his trip to South Asia which also includes visits to India and Nepal. This will be the second visit to Bangladesh for the current boss of world football's governing body and the third overall for a FIFA president.

Cox's City FC posted their second victory in the Premier Bank Bangladesh Championship League when they handed a 2-1 defeat to Chittagong Abahani at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur yesterday.

Former players under the banner "Cricketers of Bangladesh" will hold a press conference on Thursday to explain their position regarding the amendments made to the Bangladesh Cricket Board's constitutions.

New Zealand will look to recent history and dig deep into their reserves of self-belief as they prepare for the first fixture in the three-Test series against South Africa. After losing both the Twenty20 and ODI series, their reputation, particularly among locals, has gone from being a side that will compete with and even beat their visitors to being a side that has little hope of either.

A South Korean environmental group is appealing to Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung, who said he used to drink juice made from boiled frogs to build his physique, to help it protect the amphibians from a surge in consumption.

Stocks fell 4.20 percent, the steepest in one month, as investors sold shares a day after the government declared a special scheme for compensating the small investors who lost money to market downswings.

The International Crimes Tribunal will pass orders on March 13 on several petitions, including a discharge petition submitted by BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in connection with a case accusing him of committing crimes against humanity during 1971.

The law enforcement agencies will take necessary steps if the BNP tries to create anarchy on March 12 in the capital in the name of holding a grand rally, said Awami League (AL) advisory council member Tofail Ahmed yesterday.

A Dhaka court yesterday again deferred the date of passing an order whether it will frame charges against BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and 51 other accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

As Bangladesh is set to recall Bangabandhu's historic speech of March 7, 1971 tomorrow, the Pakistani media and former military officials acknowledged that the address marked the end of Pakistan 41 years ago.

A Dhaka court trying the accused in the BDR carnage case yesterday said it found no merit in the depositions given by three witnesses to the massacre in Pilkhana headquarters of BDR on February 25-26, 2009.

The High Court yesterday summoned Prof Ershadul Bari, former vice chancellor of Bangladesh Open University (BOU), before it on March 12 in connection with a charge of distorting the history of the War of Liberation.

Two lawyers yesterday filed separate general diaries with two of the city's police stations against BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Dhaka unit convener Sadeque Hossain Khoka for “threatening to create anarchy” on March 12.

A Dhaka court yesterday again deferred the date of passing an order whether it will frame charges against BNP Senior Vice Chairman Tarique Rahman and 51 other accused in the August 21 grenade attack cases.

The counsels of 121 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami yesterday expressed no confidence in a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate as he rejected their petitions submitted for altering charges framed earlier against their clients in two cases.

Vehicular movement on Majhirghat road in Chittagong city remained suspended for around one hour yesterday after some 50 contractual workers of a garment factory put up a barricade when they found their factory closed.

Fierce clash between the supporters of a former UP chairman and a former UP member on Sunday night left at least 25 people, including two police officials, injured at Dhoail village in Mohammadpur upazila.

The Department of Environment (DoE) destroyed two illegal brick kilns in Bera upazila under the district on Sunday, following an order by the High Court to stop operation of all illegal brick fields in Pabna.

Several hundred locals of Chakrampur Moholla in Naogaon municipal area formed human chain, held rally and blocked Naogaon-Bogra road of Naogaon town yesterday, demanding arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers of a college student.

The 13th anniversary of Udichi tragedy will be observed today in Jessore. On this day in 1999, at least 10 people were killed and scores injured in two separate bomb explosions at the Jessore town hall during the closing ceremony of the 12th convocation of Udichi. Udichi Shilpi Goshthi has chalked out various programmes to mark the day. The programmes include wearing black badges, lighting up candle, discussion and a cultural function. The organisation demanded the trial of the murderers.

Five people were injured in a clash between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Jubo League in Lalpur upazila town on Sunday morning. Of the injured, Mahmudul Haq Mukul, president of upazila Jubo League unit, and activist Arefin, were admitted to upazila health complex and Rajshahi Medical Collage and Hospital respectively while the rest were given first aid. Locals said the clash began at around 11:00am following an altercation between the supporters of Mukul and BCL unit president Saiful Islam over tender manipulation. On information, police rushed in and brought the situation under control, said Matiur Rahman, officer in-charge of Lalpur police station. They also arrested Jubo League activist Rekab Hossain Riko from the spot, the OC added.

Police recovered the hanging body of a stone-quarry worker in Jaflong area of Goainghat upazila on Saturday. The victim is Asim Barman, 25, son of Haralal Barman of Chanpur village in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj district. The body was sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Collage and Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police said as Asim did not join his duty, his co-workers went to his shanty at a colony at Ballaghat in the area at noon, found him hanging from the ceiling and informed police. Mohon Lal Talukder, sub-inspector of Goainghat police station, said it would be clear after receiving the autopsy report whether Asim committed suicide or was killed.

Police arrested three people, who used to cheat people posing them as 'jiner badshas' (kings of genies) while selling a fake gold statue at Boleya village in Kaharol upazila, on Saturday. The arrestees were identified as Anisur Rahman, 34, son of Abul Kashem of Boleya village, Abdul Mannan, 42, son of late Abdul Khaleque of Kashimpur village, and Sakiuddin, 50, son of Tajimuddin of Noyapara village, in the upazila. Officer in-charge of Kaharol police station Rabiul Islam said the three had long been engaged in making money by deceiving people in the name of giving them gold statues.

Iceland's ex-prime minister Geir Haarde went on trial yesterday over his role in the 2008 banking sector collapse that brought his country to its knees, becoming the first political leader to be tried over the global financial crisis.

Arts & Entertainment

On Valentine's Day, Hollywood icon Meryl Streep was up on the podium at the Hyatt Hotel taking questions from the press. She was attending the 62nd Berlin Film Festival. The room was packed and a crowd outside was pressing to get in. Cameras were poised at the front of the room taking shots from every angle. Streep was gracious and smiled benevolently. She had come to Berlin for the award of an Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. In the middle of questions about her latest movie “The Iron Lady” about British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a young Austrian journalist stood up and announced that the bunch of white roses he was holding were for her. Then he jumps onto the podium, hands them to her and kisses her on both cheeks. She takes it in stride and laughs saying, “Oh my husband didn't send me flowers.”

Artist Qayyum Chowdhury is an outstanding figure in the domain of art in Bangladesh. To celebrate his 80th birthday, Bengal Gallery of Fine Arts will organise a two-week art exhibition, titled “Quest for Self”. The exhibition will open on March 9 at Bengal Gallery in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. About 80 new artworks by the veteran artist will be displayed at the exhibition.

This year, Anya Prokash, a leading publishing house, turned 16. On the occasion, Anya Prokash has organised a 10-day book fair at the premises of Central Public Library, Shahbagh, Dhaka. The fair opened on March 3.

As part of its annual presentation, Scholastica Senior Section Drama and Music Club staged an adaptation of Upendra Kishor Roy Chowdhury's popular literary work for children, “Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen”. The play was staged on March 1 and 2 at the STM Hall, Uttara, Dhaka.

Amitabh Bachchan who underwent two abdominal surgeries at Mumbai Sevenhills hospital is recovering well at home. He informs his fans that he is repairing gradually but will take time. His ardent fans are very conscious about his health.

Film actor and model Emon is the featured celebrity of this month at DS Café. He will be on the hot seat and take your calls at The Daily Star Centre on March 7, between 4 and 5pm. Readers, fire away all your questions at him! The best question will be highlighted in the transcription. Call 8126155, 01711623915 and 01711623917 to speak to Emon.

OP-ED

Robert Zoellick's announcement that he will not seek reelection as President of the World Bank has led to a media frenzy about who should be the next chief. Demands are growing to break the 68-year old tradition of automatically selecting an American as the next head of the World Bank.

Is the Manmohan Singh government doing to the Koodankulam anti-nuclear protesters what the Bush administration did to Saddam Hussein's Iraq -- invent an excuse for using military force? Going by the government's slanderous claim that the agitators are acting at the behest of foreign NGOs, the answer is yes.

Man is a social being. It is generally true that man's progress depends upon the progress of society. A few persons or a section of the society may make progress at the cost of others but, as social progress means the progress of almost all in a society, this cannot be called social progress. In such a situation, harmony between an individual and the society is under strain. Social work makes an effort to maintain this harmony. Those who work to maintain and develop this harmony between the society and the social being are called social workers.

Since the Nato strike on the Salala check post, Islamabad has been undertaking a "review" of the partnership with the US through Parliament. The rationale provided by the government: The manner in which the relationship was being handled no longer suited Islamabad's interests.

The traditional labour-intensive method of manually capturing data from different socio-economic interventions is time consuming, expensive and often requires excess material. The alternative of using mobile phone technology for survey data collection allows for real-time data analysis that can be used to improve project implementation, increase the effectiveness of field interventions, and significantly decrease the use of paper. Thus using mobile phone technology to collect monitoring data is a potentially major breakthrough for real time data collection and analysis systems.

Science & Life

The Standard Model (SM) was developed in the late 1960s to answer the questions “What is the world made of? What holds the universe together?” It provides an elegant theoretical framework to study every particle in the universe and how these particles interact with each other.

Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists and an international research team have announced discovery of molecular oxygen ions (O2+) in the upper-most atmosphere of Dione, one of the 62 known moons orbiting the ringed planet. The research appeared recently in Geophysical Research Letters and was made possible via instruments aboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which was launched in 1997.

A Washington State University researcher has demonstrated that a variety of environmental toxicants can have negative effects on not just an exposed animal but the next three generations of its offspring.

Choppy waters and even mellow surf can knock drifting coral embryos to bits. But it takes more than shattering to kill these resilient young animals. The fragments turn out to have the power to keep on growing as clones.

A basking shark the world's second largest fish tagged with a tracking device in June 2011 suddenly checked in near Hawaii after eight months of silence, researchers reported this week. The fish, tagged near San Diego, was one of only four basking sharks ever tagged in the eastern Pacific, and the lone shark to keep its tag for such a long time.

We all know that deserts are one of the driest places in the world but did you know that the Atacama desert in Chile is the driest? To understand what that really means let's take as an example the Sahara desert (the worlds largest hot desert) and note that it receives a meager 2mm of rain each year.